The California Horse Racing Board Feb. 25 approved a proposal from Santa Anita Park to offer gambling on an Arabian race in April, with pending legislation on the topic expected to pass soon in Sacramento.

The ARCI plans an industry congress for the end of this year to develop consensus on equine medication and testing given its belief Congress won't be anywhere close to acting on legislation introduced last year.

Medication, legislation, aftercare, and the importance of media awareness are among the topics to be discussed during the National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association winter convention Feb. 3-7 in Florida.

The head of the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association said a move to drop exercise riders from workers compensation insurance coverage from the New York Jockey Injury Compensation Fund will only be temporary.

The odds for Congress passing legislation related to equine medication and Internet gambling this year are long, a Washington, D.C.-based official said May 1 during the University of Kentucky Equine Law Conference.

Two committees of the California Horse Racing Board will convene consecutively June 19 in the Sunset Room at Betfair Hollywood Park to address several matters of significance to the state's horse racing industry.

A legislative committee in New Mexico has unanimously approved a study to determine the feasibility of locating a slaughter facility in the state for purposes of processing horse meat for human consumption.

Some Texas lawmakers are trying again to establish Las Vegas-style casinos in the state, and they say now is the time to do it because the state needs the money. Racetracks would be included, according to legislation unveiled Feb. 24.

The Kentucky Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association is circulating a petition asking the General Assembly to support legislation to authorize video lottery terminals at racetracks in the state.

A Kentucky lawmaker is preparing racing-related legislation with a primary goal of funding the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, equine drug testing, and supplements for purses and stakes at the state's racetracks.

As hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue from slot machines flows to horse racing, there is growing sentiment that perhaps the racing industry is failing to capitalize on the new wealth by solely pumping money into purses and breed development programs.

Legislation that would require racetracks to submit detailed daily reports on pari-mutuel handle and attendance, and various parties to submit racehorse injury reports, has been pre-filed for the 2009 session of the Kentucky General Assembly.

Support for a proposed national strategic plan for equine welfare and safety and other reforms will be sought Sept. 12 when the National Thoroughbred Racing Association brings together industry representatives for discussion and -- it hopes -- commitment to action.

Legislation that would eliminate the automatic 25% federal withholding on pari-mutuel winnings of $5,000 or more on wagers of at least 300-1 was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives July 29.

Texas Thoroughbred Association executive director David Hooper addressed the Greater Houston Horse Council July 21 in an effort to garner support for a new breed coalition, Texas Horse Organizations for Racing, Showing and Eventing, which is known as Texas HORSE.

The bipartisan Joint Subcommittee on Horse Farming, which meets periodically when the Kentucky General Assembly isn't in session, has made strides in educating lawmakers on the importance and scope of Kentucky's horse industry. And the challenges for the industry won't go away.

Drugged equines, grisly catastrophic breakdowns, greedy breeders, damaged racehorses with nowhere to go, inaction and confusion, and industry leaders more concerned with holding onto power than doing the right thing -- a congressional subcommittee heard it all June 19 during a hearing in Washington, D.C.

Members of the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives voted May 22 to override a presidential veto of the 2007 Farm Bill exercised by George W. Bush. As a result, the 2007 Farm Bill is now law and it includes the Equine Equity Act, a provision that amends the depreciation schedule for racehorses to a uniform three years.

Though their views and actions may at times be considered extreme and bizarre by some, animal rights and welfare groups have a large constituency, have proven effective at making their point, and shouldn't be disregarded when they seize on an issue, officials said.

The "Smarty slots" in Pennsylvania have been jingling for more than a year. In Kentucky, where the racing industry views Pennsylvania as a major threat, casino legislation broke from the gate in a tangle yet again this year.

Earle I. Mack, who led the push for pending auction reform legislation in Florida, has come out in support of a strong policy statement recently released by the Thoroughbred Owners of California regarding horse sales.